Supermarket Shooting in Buffalo Sees 'Multiple People' Killed: Police

Ten people were shot dead at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, Saturday afternoon, local police said.

The shooting is being investigated as a racially-motivated hate crime, as authorities have obtained evidence that racial animosity may have motivated the suspected shooter, Eerie County District Attorney John Flynn said during a press conference Saturday evening.

The shooter, who police have only identified as a white 18-year-old man, allegedly entered the Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue after 2:30 p.m. wearing military-style clothing and body armor, and shot at least 10 people, the Associated Press reported. Three other people suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

According to the Buffalo Police Department, the suspected shooter is in custody.

Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia confirmed the suspected shooter live-streamed the shooting on social media, but authorities did not offer details about the stream.

The suspected shooter allegedly traveled hours from his home in an undisclosed New York county to conduct the shooting in Buffalo—which has a high Black population, Flynn said.

He declined to comment on reports the suspected shooter posted a racist manifesto ahead of the shooting but confirmed that a majority of the victims—11 out of the 13 people shot—were Black.

Witnesses described the suspected shooter as a white male in his late teens or early 20s, wearing full camouflage, a black helmet, who was carrying an apparent rifle, the AP reported.

"He was standing there with the gun to his chin. We were like what the heck is going on? Why does this kid have a gun to his face?" one witness Braedyn Kephart said, the AP reported.

One of the deceased victims was a recently retired Buffalo police officer who was working security for the store, according to newspaper The Buffalo News.

Shonnell Harris, an operation manager at the supermarket, told the newspaper that she thought she heard 70 shots and that she ran through the store, falling several times, before fleeing out the back.

Several victims were found inside the store, with some of the deceased victims appearing to hide behind the cash register lines, The Buffalo News reported.

The shooting remains under investigation. The suspect is expected to be arraigned on a first degree murder charge later Saturday, according to Flynn. He was not known to law enforcement before the shooting.

The Buffalo Police Department urged residents to avoid the area around the shooting. Erie County Sheriff John Garcia ordered all available personnel to assist with the shooting, the office said in a tweet.

The grocery store is located in a residential area about three miles north of downtown Buffalo, according to the AP. Police had closed off the block following the shooting.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and political leaders said they were closely monitoring the situation, and Attorney General Merrick Garland had been briefed, the AP reported.

"We have offered assistance to local officials. If you are in Buffalo, please avoid the area and follow guidance from law enforcement and local officials," Hochul tweeted.

"I'm actively monitoring the situation with the grocery store shooting in Buffalo. We are standing with the people of Buffalo. If you're in Buffalo, please follow the guidance of local law enforcement," tweeted Senator Chuck Schumer.